Of An Age

I originally had a ticket to see Of An Age on Wednesday night but the Broadway, like much of SLC, was closed because of the massive snowstorms we have been having.  Luckily, I was able to exchange my ticket and went to see it yesterday afternoon.  I can't even begin to express how much I loved this movie!  Kol (Elias Anton) is a young Serbian immigrant to Australia who aspires to be an amateur ballroom dance champion.  The only problem is that his partner Ebony (Hattie Hook) wakes up hungover on an unknown beach the morning of their competition with no memory of how she got there.  He has no way to come and get her so she suggests that he contact her older brother Adam (Thom Green) because he has a car.  Kol and Adam slowly get to know each other on the long drive to the beach and, by the time they reach Ebony, they are both clearly smitten.  Later that night, Adam attends a party with Ebony and insists that she invite Kol so he can see him again.  They end up spending a passionate night together but Adam is leaving to study abroad the next morning so they reluctantly part.  Eleven years later, they reunite at Ebony's wedding and, while they both realize that they cannot be together, it is clear that their encounter has had a profound effect on each of them.  I really loved how the dynamic between the two characters changes in the two timelines.  In 1999 Kol is awkward, insecure, uncomfortable in his own skin, and just beginning to question his sexuality.  Adam is confident, self-assured, and incredibly appealing and Kol is completely under his spell (so was I).  In 2010 Kol is handsome, stylish, successful, and social (the scene where he dances with Ebony at her wedding is in complete contrast to the one at the earlier party where he is bullied by his peers).  Adam is captivated by him (I have to admit that I was as well) and spends much of the wedding seeking him out without success.  Their scenes together are romantic and filled with so much longing that it is palpable (Anton and Green have tremendous chemistry) and I loved how the close-up camera shots on their faces reveal the feelings they are trying to repress.  Finally, I loved the messages about the importance of being truly seen by someone else and that it is better to experience love, even if it is fleeting or ephemeral, than not (it reminded me a lot of Call Me By Your Name but with a very different vibe).  It is melancholy but so beautiful (I really couldn't help but love it) and I highly recommend it!